[[alternative]]The Experience of Elderly Women with Spousal Death

[[abstract]]本研究目的是了解老年婦女的喪偶主觀感受，以現象學研究法進行。採立意取樣的方式，共訪談11位60歲至104歲喪偶之老年婦女，研究利用開放式訪談指引，進行一對一之深度訪談，錄音並轉述成逐字稿(verbatim)，然後依Colaizzi 現象學研究步驟進行分析，並循Sandelowski(1986)所提的質性研究嚴謹度來評量。本研究歸納出五個主要概念、十五個次要概念，分別為：一、病中之情，包括病夫獨自受苦的不捨、無我付出，心力交瘁之照護及難以訣別的結髮情三個次概念；二、夫亡之沉重，包括面對夫亡的震驚、憂心生計拮据，嚐盡人間冷暖、迎合世俗之苦及無常與認命四個次概念；三、思夫之痛，包括失去重心，生活變調及失控地思夫二個次概念；四、生死兩相安，包括藉儀式及完成所託以慰亡夫、魂縈夢繫，形影相隨及調整作息，重拾自我三個次概念；五、守節自在，包括提防騷擾，堅守一夫、感念子孫平安爭氣及修好祈求善終三個次概念。本研究結果可使護理人員因了解老年婦女之喪偶感受，而提供更適切之關懷性支持，並可作為婦女照護及生死教育課程設計之依據，以及老人護理教學的補充教材。關鍵詞：老年婦女，喪偶經驗，現象學[[abstract]]AbstractThis phenomenological study explored and described the elderly women’s lived experience of spousal death. Eleven widows between 60 and 104 years of age, participated in the study. Data were derived from word-for-word transcriptions of the tapes, which depicted each in-depth interview with participants. Then, the transcriptions were analyzed by the procedure of Colaizzi phenomenological methodology and evaluated by the rigor of the qualitative research posed by Sandelowski (1986). This study generated five main concepts and fifteen sub-concepts: with the dying spouse living interdependently, including enduring to see the dying suffer, caring wholeheartedly and being reluctant to bid farewell; withstanding the impact of spousal death, subcategorized by a shock when confronting her spouse dead, worrying about financial burdens and social reality, being difficult in adapting a changed self-image as a widow imposed by social customs, and facing up to the impermanence of life; suffering from longing for her husband, consisting of a tumoil life and uncontrollable missing her partner; offering the comforts to the dead and the living, being composed of mourning for the dead by conducting ceremonies and accomplishing his requests, maintaining a soul dialogue with the dead and following the life pattern of children and relocating her social position; living in widowhood with ease, avoiding being harassed with her loyalty to her spouse, viewing her children striving to excellence and doing good deeds for a natural death. The result could promote nurses’ understanding and regarding elderly women’s subjective experience of spousal death and facilitate them to perform a better care. It could also serve as reference materials for designing some relevant education programs, such as women care, life and death and geriatric nursing. Key words: elderly women, the experience of spousal death, phenomenolog